Best available cop



BEST AVAILABLE COP\ June 29 1926.

1,590,457 A. VAUPEL METHOD OF TESTING INSULATORS Filed Nov. 5, 1925 WITNESSES Z INVENTOR KW /7//7 V0/,O/ W B I 1 ATTORNEY Fatented June 29, 1325.

warren STATES BEST AVAILABLE COP.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT VAUPEL, F BER-LIH-GRUENJVALD, GmMANY, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY. 'A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF TESTING INSUI'IATORS.

Application filed. November 5, 1925, Serial No. 66,978, and in Germany November 6, 1924.

My invention relates to methods of testing insulators and similar bodies and particularly to methods of determining the 1 nterior' fabrics or structures of moldable bodies prior to hardening.

The object of my invention is to provide a method whereby the interior structure of hardening bodies may be definitely determined before they harden.

in the mass production of insulators and similar bodies of porcelain and other materials, fissures, weak strata and other defects are frequently formed in the mass of the bodies beneath the surface thereof. These features weaken the devices mechanically and, in the case of electrical insulators, materially lower the dielectric strength thereof.

Testing methods have been heretofore sug gested for determining flaws in bodies of this nature but, to the best of my knowledge,

most of them are effected by retaining thev bodies intact. Such tests, although they are suited to certain purposes, are not of an exhaustive nature or truly indicative of all the mechanical defects which may be present.

It is my aim to provide a method of testing refractory insulators and similar bodies which shall be certain in its results of determining the interior fabric of the bodies.

.\ccordingly in practicing my invention, 1 provide a method in which such bodies, while in final form but still in an unhardened state. are cut to permit separation and inspection of cross sectional areas thereof. The method also contemplates the application of a hardening liquid, such as porcelain in theliquid state, to the cut surfaces of the adjacent separated bodies and in placing said bodies together, prior to hardening or firing.

Fig. l of the accompanying drawing is a plan view of a porcelain insulator adapted for the test method. of my invention, and 2 is a view of the insulator shown in 1, partially in side elevation and parly in section along the line II-II of While the invention contemplates primarily the cutting. inspecting and reforming of porcelain insulators while in a relatively soft state prior to firing, it also contemplates equivalent operations relative to insulators and other bodies of a similar nature which may be shaped to final form while in a relatively soft state and ultimately hardened.

In the drawings, Fig. 2 represents a side view of the insulator shown in Fig. l as it would appear with a sector thereof bounded by the line IIII removed.

The removal of such a sector will immediately disclose defects such as blow holes 2 and laps 3 between various strata l, 5 and (3 which, in the mixing operation, may not have become thoroughly and homogeneously united. The bodies may be variously cut, as by removing a plurality of sections, and,

where the material is sufliciently pliable.

may be cut but once and the parts separated by bending the bodies.

lVhere the inspection of the body by the above described method discloses that the body is suitable for use, the adjacent cut surfaces of the removed sector and main body may be coated with a body of porcelain material in the liquid state and pressed back into the positions occupied before the cutting and separating operations. Rejected bodies may be used again as raw material.

The parts thus replaced and fired in the kiln are intimately reunited as though they had not been separated and an insulator of known texture is produced.

WVhile I have shown and described a particular object in connection with which the method of my invention may be practiced, the method is applicable to devices of other shapes and textures. The method may, therefore, be modified both as to the steps of its procedure and to the objects being tested, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The method of testing insulators which comprises cutting and separating portions of substantially finally formed insulating bodies to permit inspection of the interior structures thereof and then placing together the separated parts of those passing inspection prior to hardening.

2. The method of testing insulators which comprises cutting and separating portions of substantially finally formed insulating bodies to permit inspection of-the interior s r ctures thereof, treating one of h i i cent cut surfaces of, and then placing together, the separated parts of those passing inspection prior'to hardening.

3. The method of testing insulators which comprises"cutting; and separating portions of -substantialiy finally formed insulating bodies to'permit inspection of the interior structures thereof, applying a coating of a hardening liquid to one of the adjacent cut surfaces of, and then placing together, the separated parts of those passing inspection prior to hardening.

4, Them'ethod of testing porcelain bodies which comprises cutting and separating portions of the bodies to. per'm'it inspection of the interior structure thereof, placing a body of hardening material between the adja- BEST AVAILABLE COP.

tober, 1925.

ALBERT VAUPEL. 

